Plastic composition



Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED. STATES PATENT; oF IcE- cinema .1. MULLER, or' summons, mnrnnm.

PLASTIC conrosn'ron.

No Drawing.

invented certain new and useful Improve-- ments in Plastic Compositions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a composition having as one of its constituents, a heavy hydrocarbon such as asphalt, bitumen, coaltar, pitch or the like, and which, while 1e taining the'inherent qualities of the hydrocarbon base, such as fusibility undervcon- "eniently available temperatures, and resistance to water and other weather conditions, as well as to most acids, will have the additional ualities, even under extremely high atmosp eric temperatures, of remaining solid and retaining its given form, with surface dryness or non-adhesiveness; availability for use as a coating or filler for fabrics and other materials, and as a finish or protecting surface for metals or other substances; adaptability for molding or forming into receptacles, for instance battery containers or' other objects, and for production in the form of sheets, plates, blocks or other construction materials; and withal, cheapness of production and constancy in the retention of the important characteristics enumerated.

It has long been proposed to compound with heavy hydrocarbons of one or more of the kinds named, a filler in the form of a finely subdivided mineral substance for the purpose of producing a composition with higher melting point and some others of the qualities herein recited, although without surface dryness. For this purpose silica, limestone and other carbonates, clay and other argillaceous material, and even some tion; carbonates cause ebullition and foaming under the fusing temperature of. the hydrocarbon, clay or 'argillaceous substances involve the prohibitive expense of. drying and-labor of mixing: theslates'heretofore used are sufliciently rich in corbonates'pr argillaceous materials to manifest the difliculties thereof; aiid all the materials with, the

Application ma February '9, 1.922. Serial 10.535301. I

exception of silica (objectionable for the other reason stated) involve the ihherent' characteristic of massing, lumping or ballmg in the hydrocarbonand defeating or rendering very expensive proper mixing, be-" sides. producing unsatisfactory results when added in large percentages and failing wholly to hesiveness.

The present invention proceeds upon the discovery that if a hydrocarbon of a specific gravity suit-able for producing aplastic comprevent surfacetackiness or adposition, for instance, asphalt showing a penetration test of say 30, and a melting point of say 180 F., have thoroughly stirred into it a mineral filler composedof a finely subdivided slate that is substantially free rom iron in the form of ferric-oxide, from carbonates, and from ar illaceous matter, but containing carbon in the form of graphite, plastics of varyin degrees of hardness.

can be produced accor ing to the proportion of filler used, and all of these plastics will be very materially increased in fusing point, Wlll have, freedom from running or losing form under extreme atmospheric temperatures, and freedom from surface stickiness; and will retain the quality of toughness, high resistance. to fracture, and capacity for being produced at minimuin cost for filling material and for mixing.

A filling material of the kind named and which I shall refer'to as graphitic slate becomes distributed with great readiness through the mass of h drocarbon, because, of the presence in the ller of carbon in the form of graphite which induces permeation of the voids in the powdery mass by the hydrocarbon; and the compounding is so superior to that,attem ted with other fillers.

that the proportion o extremely fine filler to hydrocarbon, ma .bexlun up to every large percentage, fon-mstanoeto per center even: 90 per cent without impairing the qualities. oil the. resultant composition.

1 Moreover, due to thelow absorbin capacity of-the particles "of finely subdivide graphitic slate. asdistinguished, from permeability of the voids .of a powdery -m ass thereof,

' which lattencondition is due to the readiness with 'which the particles"are.- ;wett ed when mixed with bituminous -hydr00arb i,there is freedom fromxexudingqof :h drpcarbon under. high pressures that may shaping-the compositionintp or applyingit "to articles of use; andthd surfac at t e stated,

Q sultant composition is dry and free from letin No. 586, entitled Slate in 'the' United .sults sought for;

'a higher "rade the'Government Printing' Ofiice, Washington, D. G. 1914 While the chemical elements entering into: this mineral .may be ascertained quantitatively, through the same report, I have found through personal research that these elements exist in mineralogical or physical form that renders the natural m'aterial'available when reduced to powdered form for em tering into advantageous compositions with bituminous hydrocarbons as herein set forth. That is to say this slate -unlike other slates, whenfinely subdivided, retains its' inherent States published by hysic'al properties, of resisting acids, alkaies, weather conditions and water. These results I believeto be largely due-to the facts that Peach Bottom slate contains carbon in the form of graphite,'its iron content ism the form of magnetite, and its aluminum 1s in the form of thes'iliUate; that while it contains carbonates (e. g. calcium carbonate) the proportion is too small to impair the reand its manganese and titanium constitute'mere' traces and are not believed'to' influence the-result and are certainly' without'detriment.

The read "mixing and' complete distribu tion of the ller named,incompounding the substance, greatly facilitates control of proportionsand therefore of the physical condition and'behavior of the compositlon, for instance, in the development of'ridges or sinuous streaks upon the surfaceof roofing material being coated; and no ebullitionoccurs'to impair the work as a result of the melting-temperature-of the hydrocarbon.

Other advantages of the new process of treating-heavy h droearbon to" produce the plastic,"are that t e grap' itic' slate produces of plastic at-a verylow cost for materials.-

It adds material weight to the composition with 'niu'chdess than ."''proportionalincreaseof'volumefl In present-day practice, when a quaritit' of inert filler has been mixed-with hydro arbon',--it'-hasgenerally been. customary to use from-'70 per cent to cent'-of-what--is termed aggregate 's'u r'vided material cearser than-200 et ew) fill'e (material snowman-200 mesh )-,-'-and the "balance hydroearbom. By -usin *the herein described g'rabhitic-filler, (Pea -Bot-' tom slate),-'it possible mamas message permeation even whemthe entire 75. per cent nous hydroearbon and -10-perbent' to 15j pe'r'-cent of slate containingcarbon-in nous hydrocarbon and to r cent of'filler is of the reater fineness finer than 200 mesh). lhe advantages m making all the filler of greater fineness are that no particles or pieces of inert material are visible to theeye; ressed surfaces are smoother; the materia can be cut, sawed, drilled, fipunched or nailed, without encountering a ller particle large enough to obstruct the penetrating instrument, and therefore without splitting or impairing the material. I

As an example of the ractice of the invention, place between t e melting kettles and rolls of a felt roofing machine, heated mixers into which is run 650 pounds of asphalt having a penetration test of 30 (when cold) and a melting point of 180 F. To this gradually add, an stir in 350 pounds of PeachBottom slate reduced to a fineness beyond that which passes through a 200 mesh screen. Mix thoroughly, and the loaded or filled coating thus produced is ready for use and may be applied to the web of felt 'ust as in the cases where the ordinary asp alt surfacing is used. The finishediproduct will show a penetration test of but 18, and a melting point of 216 F.; the oods will be tough and pliable and the sur ace dry and free from stickiness. Good results are obtained in roofing, by the use of from 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the aforesaid Peach Bottom slate of the When as much as 5 per cent of the aphitic slate has been added to a hydrocar on having'a'penetration of 34 and a melting point of 198 F.,' the resultant composition as shown a enetration'of only 8, and a melting point of 307 F.

I. do not limit myself to the use of filler of the fineness stated. Rather do I seek, by stating the same, to indicate that which is most desirable, and to'emphasize the advan tages of my discovery that the use of a graphitic slate of the kind described, will permit the use of very much finer filler and permit using all the filler at the extremely fine reduction. But the same characteristics of graphitic slate facilitate the thorough penetration even of the coarser filler and the use= of even the coarser filler of this kind inherein named. I

fIclaimz 1. Acompositio consistingof a bitumi- --nous hydrocarbon and Peach Bottom slate in finely subdivided form.

2.;A composition consisting. of" a bitumifinelv subdivided 'phitic' form."

3AA composition consisting of a :bituml bon in graphitic form and substantially free from-ferric oxide; I

' 4, A composit on of a bitumireater fineness stated.

a-slate containing carnous hydrocarbon and a filler consistin of of bituminous hydrocarbonflhaving: a suba finely subdivided slate containing car n stantiil resistance to penetration, and from in graphitic, form, and substantiallyfree about 30 per cent to about 90 r'cent of from carbonates and from ferric oxide. I granhitic slate in finely subdivi ed form.

5 5. A plastic composition consisting of 'as- 7. A solid substance composed of a bitull phalt having a substantial resistance to pene- 'minous hydrocarbon and finely subdivided 'tration, and a finely subdivided graphitic Peach Bottomslate, and having the inherent slate. I physical characteristic of retention of form.

6. A plastic composition consisting of in testimony whereof I afiixm signature. 10 from about 70 per cent to about 10 per cent I GEORGE J. LER. 

